By: Blonde Two

Sleeping is important, we all understand that but we also all know that camping and sleeping aren’t always good bedfellows (is there such a thing as a mixed pun?) So for this week’s Tuesday’s Ten we have 10 things that you can sleep on when you are camping (these may or may not include camping mats!)

   

  1. Heather – Not the girl, the plant. Tricky to get your pegs into the ground with this one but a bed of heather can be surprisingly like a springy mattress (only in permitted wild camping areas please and we are not advocating picking the heather, just temporarily squashing it).
  2. Cheese – This has been done and it can be confirmed that cheese makes a most excellent pillow. The fat content gives it a great R-value and it also tastes good in the middle of the night. (Interesting to note here that, if you do a Google search for ‘tent cheese’ we Blondes appear!)
  3. An inflatable mat – Too sensible by far but inflatable mats are comfortable. Remember though that air is not a good insulator so find one with something cosy like down or Primaloft inside it as well.
  4. The dog – Maybe you shouldn’t sleep on top of your dog, but allowing him inside your sleeping bag can be a really good way of keeping your toes warm.
  5. Sand – Sand is good because you can shape it to suit your body but it (unless you are at the local play park) is often full of creatures that want to play with you in the middle of the night.
  6. Blankets – Blankets can give insulation from the floor but you will need more than one layer of them and maybe another rucksack in which to carry them. Old fashioned Airtex blankets, incidentally, make a great sleeping bag liner.
  7. Foam mats – Foam mats are very versatile and, compared to modern, inflatable mats, extremely robust. It is far easier to share a foam mat by cutting it in half than it is to share your £150 Thermo-Mat!
  8. Your breakfast – If you suspect that there are foxes in your vicinity, there are only two safe places in which to store your food. Either inside you or underneath your sleeping bag when you are in it. Squashed croissants are far nicer than stolen ones!
  9. Snow – Snow has the same malleability as sand and ice-pillows are more comfy than you would imagine. It is, however, cold! When someone invents warm snow this situation should improve!
  10. A good friend – A good friend can make a great insulator and has a far greater R-value than most camping mats. Sleeping on your friend can happen by accident if you have pitched your tent on a slope but you should usually ask permission first!